Anonymous Splinter Group Targeting Sony Executives

The hacker collective Anonymous assails the PlayStation Network and harasses top executives in support of GeoHot and his pending legal battle with Sony.

By now, you probably know the major players. Sony is suing George Hotz, aka GeoHot, for publicly posting the root key to the PS3 thereby allowing anyone to install any operating system on the game console. Anonymous, a hacker collective that is responsible for attacking anyone from Gene Simmons to PayPal and Bank of America for not respecting free speech, has come to GeoHot's aid by bringing down us.playstation.com earlier this week and continuing disruption of gamers' connectivity with the PlayStation Network. Anonymous made a video announcement of its intentions in Operation Sony or #OpSony. In addition, a splinter Anonymous group - perhaps a subset of those involved - has formed on the IRC channel #SonyRecon to obtain as much personal information as possible on top Sony executives to target them for future harassment or possible hacking of personal systems.

"Ok, I made a chan #sonyrecon for people to gather and contribute dox, and work towards a common goal of finding and information and detailing useful targets," a user identified as randomtask said over IRC. "Someone got the phone number of the head of the sony company in #sonyrecon."

The "dox" that randomtask mentions refers to all personal identification documents or information such as phone numbers, email addresses or pictures of family members. So far, the IRC chat has targeted Sony financial guy Robert S. Wiesenthal and Nicole Seligman, Sony's legal guru who also defended Oliver North during the Iran-Contra affair and Bill Clinton at his impeachment trials. Of course, Sony CEO and President Howard Stringer's family is also under Anonymous' gun.

"No one found any info on Stringers kids?" one Anonymous member lamented in IRC. It's not just Sony executives that Anonymous wants to harass; anyone involved with the court case is vulnerable. "Sony, the judge and sonys lawyers are all valid targets," randomtask said.

But at least there is still a sense of humor about them. "lol well like 30 min ago i left chocolate rain on the judge's voicemail - lawl," one Anonymous member said.